Textile or Leather..?

[Henriettaah]

I'm looking to get a jacket - initially I assumed leather was the choice to make; but having heard that modern textiles such as Cordura offer as much protection as leather, come with armour too and are waterproof, I am not sure which would be the best/most versatile/safest choice.

Opinions or any insights into the differences/advantages/disadvantages, in your experience please, folks?

[StradBiker]

Having just gotten a textile jacket with padding, and then dumped my bike the next day, I would say that either would be fine, but I really appreciated having the extra reinforcement at the elbows!!!!!

[Henriettaah]

The textile had the added elbow protection over a leather jacket?

[StradBiker]

No, it was a mesh jacket with the armor in pockets at the elbows and back, with a waterproof liner. After I got up from my little mishap, there wasn't even a speck of damage on the fabric. Of course, you have to decide what you feel safest in. I just recommend that whatever you buy, there is some type of armor in it. I have a leather jacket, but it was just too hot for the summer here.

[KarateChick]

I guess a lot of it may depend on your weather when riding. I picked up a textile jacket that is waterproof and also splurged on a leather jacket I couldn't resist. However, so far, it has been pretty warm here so have not had the leather out much even tho it has arm venting. The textile is good in terms of venting in the rib area and in the arms so even on fairly hot days, it's been nice. The leather's been closeted more often but fall is here....so maybe it'll be out more soon. Doesn't it rain a lot in the U.K. at times? You can w-proof a leather to a point but it gets soggy and heavy after a steady rain - at least anything leather I have does so I'll assume the jacket will too. The textiles I've seen come w-proof or not (but some come with a w-proof removable liner too). Oh, my leather jacket is heavier than the textile one and the cut is similar if that makes a diff. But buds that have seen the jackets like the leather one more in terms of appearance.

I have read that leather definitely protects the best if you're grounded and sliding but hopefully none of us will ever have to confirm that firsthand. However, I did have a friend blast thru a car windshield in his textile jacket and the only thing to show on the jacket were just a couple of small scratches (and he was okay too) and his jacket is still in operation.

Hope that helped a bit.

[Henriettaah]

It does have a fondness to rain a lot here in the Uk, but I am undecided if at first I should hesitate when going out in the rain, or if i should start off and just learn about taking it real easy in the wet weather.

[Mintbread]

When I first started riding I bought a Dririder jacket which is waterproof and has padding in the elbows and shoulders. I decided it would initially be best to get a wet weather jacket as I could wear it in the dry with no problems as well as the wet. But if you are not considering wet weather gear I would say go leather. I had a leather jacket for most of my dozen or so years of riding and it looked as good as the day I bought it to the day the medics cut it off me back in May

[funsocaltiger]

In the Sept. 1988 issue of Cycle they "road tested" several grades
of leather, nylon and Kevlar. The two tests were dragging the
material at 50 mph until it failed, and running a sample on an
abrasion tester until failure.

At 50 mph the results were:

"Natural Armor"
3 oz leather 86' 0"

"Strong Synthetics"
Kevlar 22' 1"
Codura Nylon 18' 3"

"The Rest"
1.75 oz leather 4' 4"
2.25 oz suede 4' 3"
Denim, 2 year old 4' 0.5"
Denim, new 3' 10"
Ballistic Nylon 3' 10"

[Henriettaah]

Thats pretty amazing reading.

Being dragged at 50mph until failure.. leather, 86'; textile, 22'.

Mind it was seventeen years ago- I wonder how much the fabric has evolved since then.

[funsocaltiger]

And 22' is for Kevlar. They dont make gear entirely out of kevlar. Nothing I've seen, anyway. Cordura is slightly less at 18'. What worries me is:

Ballistic Nylon 3' 10"

Ballistic nylon is the stuff that all that garbage Joe Rocket stuff and 99% of cheap textile gear is.